Scrap block



July 9, 1929. T I 1.720.336

SCRAP BLOCK Filed Feb. '12, 1923 INVENTOR.

Hg;- 2, l ll I II mu AR THUR E. TKO/E L.

ATTORNE'YS.

Patented July 9, 1929.

= STATES rarer enrich.

ARTHUR, E. TROIIEL, 0F BERKELEY, CALIlEC TLllTA, .lSEilGrlllllR TO MONTAGUE RANGE AND FURNACE (30., OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALI- FORNIA.

sonar BLOCK.

Application filed February 12, 1923.

This invention relates to a scrap block and especially to that type employed in restaurants by dish-washers and the like.

In restaurants, hotels and other hostelries, where large quantities of dishes, glasses and other table-i are, such as knives, forks,spoons etc., are required, dish washing, and particularly losses due to breakage becomes quite a problem as dishes and glassware are frailand as such require sorting and separate handling when washing as they are otherwise easily broken.

The dirty dishes when received in the kitchen contain considerable quantities of scraps or adhering food remnants which are usually scraped oil? or removed before the dishes are sorted and washed, etc, and, the losess due to breakage are here encountered as the men must work rapidly to keep the dishes moving from the sorting and scraping tables to the washing machines and so on. Most of the food remnants adhere only slightly to the dishes and as such may be readily removed by merely inverting the dishes and striking them gently against the edge of a so-called scrap block. These blocks are generally constructed of wood and if the dishes strike the block too hard, breakage is liable to occur. The object of the present invention is to gen erally improve scrap blocks of the character described and especially to provide a scrap block whereby breakage of the dishes is practically eliminated during the scraping and sorting operation.

I accomplish this object by providing a block which is constructed throughout of a resilient material, such rubber or the like.

One form which my invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a sorting and scraping table, showing the application of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the scrap block.

The scrap block forming the subject matter of the present invention is perhaps most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, and its position when in use is best illustrated in Fig. 1. The scrap block is in this instance constructed of rubber throughout and as such forms a resilient structure against which the dishes may Serial No. 618,691.

be lmocked to remove adhering food remnants without danger of fracturing or breaking the same. The sorting and scraping bench generally indicated at A is usually provided with one or more openings such indicated at 2 into which the scraping blocks are inserted and a garbage can 8 is generally placed below each opening to catch the food remnants removed. The scrap block may be as large or as small as desired, but for general use it usually approximates a diameter of about six inches and. a height of about four or five inches. The scrap block is cylindrical when formed as shown. The upper end is rounded as indicated at l and the lower end is reduced in diameter to form an annular supporting shoulder o and an annular flange 6, which is adapted to be received by the opening 2 in the table. The extended or I flan go 6 secures the scrap block in the opening and thereby prevents displacement of the same with relation to the opening 2 when the scrap block is in use.

The dirty dishes arriving in the kitchen are usually placed on the scraping and sorting bench indicated at A, and the dishes are rapidly pickcd up one by one and the food remnants encountered are removed by knocking the plates against the edge of the block indicated at l. Breakage is in this instance reduced to a minimum as fairly soft rubber is employed and breaking of the dishes by accidentally knocking them against the side of the block is also prevented as the entire block is constructed of rubber. The dishes are aulvanced along the bench, as the food remnants are removed, and are then sorted and passed to the washing machines. The exact method of handling the dishes after they pass the scraping blocks does not form any part of the present invention and as such is merely briefly referred to.

By referring to Fig. 1 it will be noted that the scrap block is reinforced by a perforated cylindricalshaped sheet metal member such as indicated at 7. This member is'provided for the purpose of partially stiffening or reinforcing the scrap block and particularly the reduced flanged portion indicated at 6. The reinforcing member is preferably employed when a comparatively soft rubber is used and may be discarded or eliminated when a fairly hard rubber is employed.

reduced annular Having thus described Inv invention, What I claim and desire to secure y Letters Patent 1s- A homogeneous scrap block consisting of a single piece tubular rubber cylinder, one end of which block is reduced in outside diameter to form a shoulder to rest upon the upper face of the table With the reduced portion extending into the table opening and fric- 10 tionally engaging the walls thereof and firmly and detachably securing the block to the table, and a foraminous stifl'ening member embedded in the inner portion of the block at the inner side of the center of the walls thereof and terminating short of the ends of the block, the latter having a maximum portion of the rubber outside the stifi'ening member and presenting a continuous, unbroken, seamless surface at the upper end.

ARTHUR E. TROIEL. 

